HYDROVANE:  THE WIND-POWERED CREW MEMBER

Written by Sarah and Will Curry of Hydrovane

Hi Dawgs! We wanted to introduce ourselves: we’re Sarah & Will Curry, and we’ve been involved with Hydrovane, a family business, for over two decades. Hydrovane itself has been around for more than 50 years and is a tried, tested, and true mechanical self-steering windvane. It’s a second steering system for your boat. Your best crew member! We’re cruisers like you and have been living and breathing this amazing sailing life for many years. We relaunched our boat, Kaia II of Vancouver, in Trinidad last week, and we’re kicking off the Seattle Boat Show this weekend (email us for the Boat Show Special!). We’re also parents to two salty rascals: 6-year-old twin boys. It’s hard to come up for air sometimes in our hectic life, so for this article we’ve turned to the new AI game, with verbatim testimonials, of course. Hope to see you out on the water!

If your sailing life is anything like a sitcom crossed with a survival show where the cast includes a stubborn autopilot, a haywire main rudder, and at least one jellyfish that’s secretly plotting your route then you’ll want to meet your new best friend: the Hydrovane self-steering windvane. Designed to steer your sailboat without complaining, sleeping, eating, or asking for a raise, the Hydrovane can be the unsung hero of every cruising adventure.

A (Quietly Hilarious) Crew Member

Sure, autopilots beep and rudders may squeak, but Hydrovane whispers “I got this” in the voice of a seasoned sea captain made of anodized aluminum, super duplex stainless steel, and wind-powered genius. Here are some of the best testimonials from sailors who have gone from “Is that an autopilot or a DJ at a rave?” to “Where’s Hydrovane’s MVP award?”

Hydrovane, The Unofficial Third Crew Member

“We have said to each many times that without doubt the most valuable piece of equipment on board was Casper – best purchase EVER. I will never own an offshore boat again that does not have this device. 

– T 40 owner

“If cruising I wouldn’t go to sea without one: strong, simple, reliable, an emergency helm and an extra crew member who never complains and doesn’t need a watch system.” 

– Pete Goss, MBE 

Hydrovane Saves the Day (and the Boat)

“At 1100nm from Martinique during the night with 30/35 knots of wind and 3 to 5 meters waves we heard two big noises like something hitting the boat on the side, and almost immediately the autopilot stopped working. The boat went beam to the waves. So I am sending thanks to the Hydrovane. It saved my boat.” 

– Amel Mango 52 owner 

“Without the Hydrovane, I wouldn’t have a ship today. It’s as simple as that. And even though I had doubts at times about whether we could make it purely in terms of strength, there’s always a little reserve to take one step further. In any case, I’m extremely grateful for your product and for having made the decision to purchase it back then.” 

– Jeanneau 43 owner after main rudder loss en route to Bermuda

When the Winds Get Wild

“In a gale it has a big advantage because it is not steering the boat’s rudder, but has its own. This [smaller] rudder is far more efficient than the boat’s main rudder.” 

– Jean-Luc Van Den Heede, winner 2018 Golden Globe Race

“I was clawing off a lee shore on one side, and islands on another – winds were reported at 55 knots, and waves in the region were at least “boat length” high and quite steep with the currents. This was an awful night and I was very afraid for myself, the boat and my equipment. I had new found respect, trust and comfort in the Hydrovane after that.”  – Contessa 26 owner

“We had a fast 18 day passage in strong winds, multi-directional swells and relatively few squalls. Rolly and Quick (sounds like a law firm you wouldn’t want to deal with?). But iVane was voted the Passage Prize, 2700 down miles without a miss-step or whimper.” 

– Hallberg Rassy 40 owner 

What Makes Hydrovane Hydrovane?

Hydrovane isn’t just another gadget, it’s an auxiliary rudder system and autonomous self-steering windvane. That means it steers the boat using its own rudder based on wind direction, without pulling lines through your cockpit or draining precious battery power. It even doubles as an emergency rudder/steering system if things go sideways (literally).

Install it off-center if you love your swim step more than symmetry. It works on nearly all cruising boats and is surprisingly easy to operate — if you can balance your boat and move a knob, you can probably make this beauty sing to the wind.

Final Word

Whether you’re circumnavigating the globe or just trying to keep course down the coast, Hydrovane is the crew member that never sleeps, never complains, and always, somehow, stays on point even when the sea looks like it’s auditioning for a monster movie.

So next time you hear a sailor say “I already have an autopilot”, quietly hand them this article… and maybe a cup of coffee, because Hydrovane still doesn’t drink it (but it probably deserves one).

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